Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The federal government has unveiled series of interventions aimed at improving infrastructure, teacher quality, digital learning and skills development as part of efforts to reposition Nigeria’s education sector.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this at the opening of the 85th Joint Consultative Committee on Education (JCCE) Plenary Meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with the theme, ‘Infrastructural Development and Teacher Motivation: Panacea for Improved Learning Outcomes’.
Represented by the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Folake Olatunji-Davies, Alausa said the administration of President Bola Tinubu is implementing targeted policies to make education more qualitative and responsive to national development needs.
He said that the federal government is concerned not only about physical infrastructure, but also about teacher quality and the overall learning environment.
“Through the Renewed Hope Agenda, the federal government has continued to place education at the centre of national development,” Alausa said.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Education instituted the Nigerian Education Sector Renewal Initiative to provide a coordinated framework for transforming the sector, with emphasis on quality assurance, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), STEM, digitalisation, inclusion and improved learning environments.
He listed the Renewed Hope Energising Education Programme (RHEEP) and the Next Gen Student Hostel Projects at institutions including Yaba College of Technology and Lagos State University among interventions designed to improve students’ living and learning conditions.
“This underscores the administration’s commitment to improving the physical conditions under which students live and learn,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that the government is strengthening science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical sciences through the rehabilitation and upgrading of medical schools, as well as engineering and technology faculties in tertiary institutions.
He added that the National Digital Learning Initiative is facilitating the rollout of smart classrooms and digital learning resources nationwide to expand technology-enabled education and improve digital literacy among teachers and learners.
Alausa further cited intensified efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children through targeted enrolment campaigns, alternative learning pathways and collaboration with state governments and development partners.
He said the government is also establishing and upgrading vocational and innovation hubs in federal polytechnics and colleges of education to equip students with practical, industry-aligned skills for employability and self-reliance.
The minister urged state governments, local communities, development partners and corporate organisations to complement federal interventions, stressing that education is a shared responsibility.
“The success of these reforms will depend not only on government policies and investments, but also on effective implementation, accountability, and sustained collaboration among all tiers of government and stakeholders,” he said.
Earlier, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, described the JCCE as the country’s foremost technical and advisory body on education.
Fubara said the resolutions reached at the meeting would have far-reaching implications for teaching and learning across the country.
He said his administration is committed to improving school infrastructure while prioritising teacher training, capacity building and welfare.
“School building is the first statement a society makes about how much it values its children. Just as important, we are committed to the welfare, training and motivation of our teachers. The teacher is the single most important factor within the school that determines whether a child succeeds,” the governor said.